MORGAN HILLL — Pacific Grove set up a rematch with archrival Carmel by winning a battle of dash vs. slash to take a 42-20 victory at Live Oak Friday night.

Pacific Grove improved to 10-1 and will get a chance to avenge its only loss of 2013 when it meets Carmel next week. Live Oak saw its eight-game winning streak snapped and ends its season at 9-2.

Jake Speed and Jason Leech led the Pacific Grove ground game. Speed rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Leach picked up 91 yards in 11 attempts.

The Breakers didn”t throw often, but they were efficient when they did. Senior quarterback Luke Lowell passed for 171 yards, including a 40-yard score to Forest Compton.

The deliberate power running game that”s been a staple of the Acorn offense looked unstoppable early. Led by bruising running back Trevor Bearden, Live Oak scored on its first two possessions with no signs of slowing through the first 13 minutes. But the Pacific Grove defense eventually found a way to slow Bearden enough, and the Breaker offense used quickness and misdirection to befuddle the Live Oak defense as it pulled away late in the first half.

For all of its offensive firepower, the key player of the game for Pacific Grove may have been Lowell as a defensive back. With the Breakers clinging to a 15-14 lead and showing no signs of stopping Bearden and the Acorn offense, Lowell played beautiful coverage on a third-and-7 play but was flagged for pass interference on a play the back judge clearly got wrong, keeping a Live Oak drive alive.

The Pacific Grove defense used that play as a catalyst to finally slow Live Oak, forcing a fourth and long. The Acorns decided to go for it, and quarterback Erik Ornduff found Lowell in one-on-one coverage with Bearden in the the endzone. This time, Lowell made the play with no question, breaking up the pass and starting Pacific Grove on its way to what would fast become a rout.

Bearden carried the Live Oak offense, rushing 29 times for 180 yards. But he also killed the early momentum generated by the Acorn offense on one key play in the second quarter.

With Live Oak trailing 22-14 late in the half, Bearden took a ball off right tackle, then cut back across the field for a 26-yard gain to the Pacific Grove 14. But he was called for a face mask and then a personal foul arguing the call, pushing the ball all the way back to the 45. The Breaker defense held and Live Oak never sniffed the lead again.

Pacific Grove opened the second half with touchdown drives of 65, 80 and 48 yards. Speed finished all three drives by scoring from 15 twice and from 12 to put the Breakers on top 42-14 less than three minutes into the fourth quarter.